Introduction
This text analyzes the phenomenon of manual override—a strategy of bypassing standard procedures in the name of speed and efficiency. This is a defining characteristic of modern leaders described as Borgians. Readers will discover why the pursuit of immediate results can lead to the erosion of the rule of law. The article explains the difference between necessary crisis management and systemic arbitrary power.
Manual Override: From Procedure to Arbitrariness
Manual override occurs when a center of power suspends institutional mechanisms, deeming them too slow. Unlike legal emergency procedures, which are enshrined in law and time-limited, this mechanism treats procedures as unnecessary friction. An example is the approach of the Borgian, for whom the legitimacy of an action is not found in the letter of the law, but in the visible success of the venture itself. When procedure becomes an obstacle to achieving a goal, it is replaced by direct intervention and the forced production of results.
The Difference Between Constitutional and Sovereign Exceptions
It is crucial to distinguish between a constitutional exception and a sovereign exception. The former exists within the system of norms; it may shift the distribution of competencies, but it still requires a legal basis and judicial oversight. The latter, based on Carl Schmitt's concept, assumes that the sovereign stands above the law and unilaterally decides upon the state of emergency. Arbitrariness emerges when a decision is completely detached from verifiable criteria. While permissible flexibility (discretion) allows for a choice between several legal solutions, arbitrariness destroys the predictability of the state.
Procedures as Barriers Against Catastrophic Error
Bypassing procedures in the name of efficiency is risky because it removes so-called information filters. Procedures act like layers of Swiss cheese—each layer reduces the probability of a critical error. Abandoning them in favor of rapid decision-making increases the variance of outcomes. The system becomes dependent on the quality of information reaching the center, which, in autocracies, is often distorted by the fear of subordinates. In this way, manual override can lead to situations where the state moves very quickly, but in a completely wrong direction.
Summary
The greatest threat is the process by which the exception becomes the routine. Through the ratchet effect, temporary emergency powers often become entrenched in the system, leading to constitutional mutation. In a world of digital acceleration, we must ask ourselves: are we willing to accept the slowness of procedures as the price of freedom? Handing over the administrator password to the state in the name of efficiency may be irreversible.